Refractive Index Measurement Capabilities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

The refractometry program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was abandoned ten years ago, because of a lack of support. A serious attempt is being made to reestablish this program, and to upgrade the existing refractometers and the measurement capabilities to meet the present needs of the optical community. The purpose of this paper is to present the current status of the refractive-index-measurement capabilities at NIST, the immediate plans for the future, and the results of some recent measurements. Refractive index data will be given from 0.5461 to 1.083 μm for three samples of zinc selenide from different manufacturers.